I Hate The Cold
by AttackonKorra26
Summary: Reluctant as it was, Hoth was the only place they could go. All they had left was each other. Though, even that can end quickly. What Rey held onto was something not most people would hold onto during times like this. Hope is what sparked the Rebellion in the first place. But she not only had hope, she had faith. Reylo oneshot. :D


**Hello! This is my first Star Wars oneshot, I hope I got the characters down. Anyway, read and review if you like it. Enjoy.**

* * *

Reluctant as it was, Hoth was the only place they could go. Takodana was under suspicious activity, Yavin 4 was out of the question, and Tatooine was under full First Order control. The old Rebellion base was functional but severely damaged. Thanks to the Empire's invasion, getting the fort back on line became a long process. But it was worth it. The only problem was the cold. The mass number of blizzards and freezes over the years made breaking into the base a day and half's worth of labor.

Food was a scarcity. The winter clothing they wore to keep themselves warm were old and thin. The only water they could get was putting some ice into buckets and boiling it. Even then the water still seemed to evaporate too quickly. All they had left was each other. Though, even that can end quickly.

What Rey held onto was something not most people would hold onto during times like this. Hope is what sparked the Rebellion in the first place. But she not only had hope, she had faith. Either one of those words were dangerous in such a big galaxy filled with cruel upperclassmen and thieving tyrants. The desert girl kept that close to her heart. Not only did she have hope for change, she had faith in the person who is more than capable of making the change come true.

Their last few interactions were less than touching. First time since she last saw him in the connection while escaping Crait, they blew up in anger and frustration.

'I could have given you everything!' He had said to her.

But Rey didn't want the galaxy at her feet. She wanted him to come home, just like Leia. Though, she didn't say it, she thought it. After they had gotten their frustrations out, they calmed down and questioned why it all happened the way it did. Both knew the other was hurting from both of their actions. While Rey didn't understand why he could ask her to leave her friends, he couldn't fathom the fact he offered her not only the galaxy, but his life. And yet she did the same thing Luke tried to do. She went for that damn lightsaber before even trying to talk to him. Both were betrayed.

The second time they connected, Leia had passed. Rey was in tears, all alone. But so was Ben. This time, he bore his mask. The connection had gotten stronger, and she knew he was mourning Leia, whether he wanted to or not. Rey had looked at him with more compassion than she ever had before. Ben didn't care what she did or said to him, he was tired and alone. She had walked up to him and took his mask off, revealing the pale and tear stained face of a boy who had his heart ripped out. He did not look at her. Rey gently caressed his cheek and made him look at her.

What took them both by surprise was she kneeled next to his vulnerable form and took him in her arms. Ben didn't return the embrace, but he didn't push her away. In that span, she repeated the same words he expressed to her that rainy night on Ahch-To.

'You're not alone.' She had whispered to him.

With that, he sobbed into her chest. Telling Leia how sorry he was and how much he missed her. Rey stayed with him during the whole process, pushing her slender, calloused fingers through his long black locks and rubbing his back. Soon enough, he had fallen asleep in her arms. At that point, Rey wasn't angry with him anymore. She understood how he felt when she tried to take the lightsaber from him and guilt had consumed her. What she did was wrong, but she had to accept it and let it go.

The third connection was... interesting. Taken place a few weeks after Leila's funeral. At first, they had said nothing. Ben was a bit reluctant to speak mostly because he was a bit embarrassed by letting himself cry in front of her. Much less let her comfort him. After a few more moments of silence, Rey decided to speak. She told him she was sorry for pulling the lightsaber on him, but she had a reason for doing so. If she had just said 'No', he wouldn't have let her go. So, if she were to fight for her escape, she would have but not by killing him. He didn't want to believe her, but he did. With a grain of salt, of course.

After that, they just talked. She occasionally asked about how lightsabers were reconstructed or what something written in the texts would mean. He would answer with honesty and as much as he knew. It was like they weren't in a war for once. Having a normal conversation felt nice. They grew comfortable with each other. But all good things must come to an end.

Seeing someone through a connection is a bit different than actually seeing them in person. For a moment, everything was fine. Not a single disturbance. The next thing everyone knew, they were under attack on the planet's moons they were temporarily occupied, Endor.

First Order ships began sending ground troops by the time they started evacuating. Almost everyone was out, but a young girl was trapped underneath some rubble. Rey went to get her. By the time she got to her, the girl was already dead. Shot with a blaster through her tiny teenage skull. Stormtroopers made their rounds around the invaded base. Rey tried to slip through but as she ran from them, her body slammed against something, or _someone_. She had looked up and froze with fear. Ben was looking down at her with a blank expression, no emotion present. Much like a soldier trained for enduring the worst pain when interrogated. Rey was so shocked, she couldn't speak. The Supreme Leader looked up to see if the troops had followed her. They thought she went somewhere else and went in a different direction, sprinting right past them.

Ben looked back down at her and stared, considering what to do. Rey locked eyes with them, silently pleading with him to let her go. Brown clashed with hazel with intense intentions. In one swift motion, he helped her up and pulled her into a room with an immense load of cargo. She looked at him in confusion. He leaned into her ear.

'Hide in here until they're gone. I can sense your friends in the forest, they're waiting for you.'

She looked up at him as he did her. At that point, she realized their faces were close. Very close. Close enough to the point she could feel his breath against her skin. For a brief moment, their eyes locked once more. All she saw was honesty. He wasn't playing her, he didn't want to take her prisoner. So that means he had no intention of fighting her either. With reluctance, Rey turned away and hid behind a large stack of cargo that was almost unreachable for a normal Stormtrooper. Ben watched her for a moment longer before walking out of the room.

That was the last time she saw him. It's been three weeks since then and Rey has been itching her palm, furiously. She didn't know when she'd see him next nor what to say when she did. A sigh escaped her chapped lips, the cold exposing her hot breath. There she stood on the roof of the bunker watching the sun set, doing nothing but wondering what will happen next. All she ever did was fix and wait. Though this was something different. Rather than thinking about what the Resistance (or what's left of it) will do to take the First Order down, her mind is on about the man that is supposed to be her sworn enemy. And yet he's saved her life twice now.

Rey has been used to saving herself that it didn't fully register what had happened until now. It felt odd being saved by someone else. She felt useless to a degree at which her stomach hurt. No one knows what was going through his head when Ben saved her. She'll never know unless she asked, which she knew he wouldn't answer. He was a very timid person considering he was the most powerful man in the entire galaxy. She also noticed he was very soft spoken, at least when he wasn't fueling with rage. Not to mention, he always seemed like he was afraid of touching her. Like she was a fragile object that must be taken care of with tenderness. Rey shivered at the thought.

The sun glared at her, making her grimace. It shined brightly along the plains of snow, making them come to life and shimmer. Like diamonds on the sea. The girl from Jakku wondered what it was like to wear such objects on her fingers. Probably heavy. Another chill runs down her spine as the wind picks up around her small bundled form. Dark clouds roll in, swallowing the once clear orange sky. Small specs of white flow to the ground at her snow-soaked feet. Rey uncurled her already pale fist and let the snow land on her hand. Even if it was cold, the girl had been on a desert planet her whole life and the thought of snow fascinated her. Now that she was experiencing holding snow, it was exhilarating. It was a beautiful thing.

"...ey! Rey! Rey!"

A familiar voice snapped her head out of the clouds, causing her head to whip behind her. There stood a shaking Finn, covered in layers of coats and struggling to climb up the roof of the base. Rey knew he was worried about her, he had cornered her the other day and asked if she knew something she wasn't telling him. He was concerned, of course, he was her friend and cared about her well-being. She didn't blame him, but he caught her off guard and made her cry a bit. The poor girl was so confused, she didn't understand why most things happened. The Falcon being on Jakku of all places, being chased by Rathtars, hunted down by a man in the guise of a monster, Han Solo's death, the connection, it was overwhelming.

When Finn was able to calm her down, her only answer to him was she'd tell him soon, but not now. He understood and let it go for now. Rey was glad to have a friend like him, her first friend of all things. She knew he meant well, he had flaws and the stubbornness was annoying at times. But she would be a hypocrite if she didn't think she had flaws of her own. The ex-Stormtrooper walked up to her, shivering violently.

"Rey, it's getting dark and a storm's coming. We need to go inside."

"Oh, right… Well, I'll be down in a few minutes. But I won't be joining you all for dinner, I'm not very hungry."

Finn furrowed his eyebrows at her, like she'd said something crazy. "You're not hungry," he asked. "But you're always hungry."

She shook her head. It was true, ever since they had arrived on the miserable ice planet, she'd progressively lost her appetite. Probably due to the unexpected change in weather.

"O-Okay, but can you at least bring some food with you, just in case you do get hungry and won't have to wait until morning?"

Rey looked up at him, fully turning her attention to him. "Of course," she smiled.

He smiled back and nodded.

* * *

Only an hour into being by herself in her room and she was already bored. Rey looked at the plate of food on her nightstand, she frowned upon it. The food was bland but filling. It reminded her of the food portions given to her by Unkar Plutt every day after scavenging. Though used to the stiff food, she couldn't help but grimace at the thought of seeing that repulsive piece of garbage again. Ever since she could remember, Plutt had been rather harsh with her and never played fair. No matter what she brought to him, shiny or properly fixed, he'd give her less than what the scarp was originally for. Sometimes the amount of portion given to her wouldn't be enough to heal her malnutritioned body and she'd have to go scavenging half starving. Even water was priced.

She recalls a few times she'd be pushed to the side or moved because she was a 'filthy junk rat that needed to be squashed.' All she wanted was some water to keep herself hydrated. Oh, the migraines she endured were the worst when she was missing out on both food and water. There were very few kind souls that decided to help her. Rey did no remember many. Maybe that one old woman that she always saw at the cleaning station. At the time, she must've been around the tender age of nine. That year was one of the worst. That particular day, Rey cut her arm on a piece of rusted metal while scavenging through one of the old Star Destroyers. It was one of the most painful injuries she had. The cut wasn't deep but it big and kept oozing blood.

When she got to the cleaning station, the old woman had noticed the bleeding mess on the young girl's arm and frowned. Halfway through cleaning and the table was covered in red droplets. When the old woman got up, she taken a clean wet cloth, took Rey's arm, and gently pressed on the cut. It had hurt but soon the bleeding stopped. The young girl had looked up at the woman like she was her hero, and in a sense, she was. She stopped Rey from having an infection. She even offered some words of advice.

'You should bind your arms to keep from having injuries like this one. It can also protect your arms from the sun.'

And with those words, she left Rey by herself to think. That day she cried out of joy because someone had taken the time to take care of her, even it be just one time. That one simple act of kindness somewhat restored her hope of people having good in them. That's why she was so forgiving.

Feeling like she was being caged in, Rey grabbed her coat and boots and went out into the hanger. Assuming Chewie was at dinner with the others, she could slip onto the Falcon easily. It was her escape ever since she could pilot the piece of junk. There was always a sense of comfort while in the ship, maybe Han's presence? She didn't know but she did often wonder what it would've been like to work for the smuggler/war hero. Fun? No, dangerous was more the word. Checking the coast was clear, Rey walked into the hanger with one of the Jedi Texts tucked underneath her arm. Perhaps trying to read it while in her safe haven would help her fall asleep.

The books were so boring but no matter what, she kept reading. Her knowledge was always expanding, and she'd like to keep it that way. She loved to learn more than others, which she thought was a wonderful quality. Though, many people on Jakku thought teaching children to read and learn languages were a travesty. Always frowned upon. Knowledge was a dangerous trait to gain, especially when you could use that against someone and possibly get them in trouble.

By the time Rey slipped onto the Falcon, the entire hanger was completely empty. Devoid of any human contact. She smiled, this was good. No one would bother her. The pale girl walked into the common area, sat on the cushioned booth, and started to read. She would go into the cockpit, but she'd be seen a lot easier in there than she would be in here. After about fifteen minutes or so, Rey felt a ripple in the Force. Then silence. He was here.

Footsteps approached her, though she decided to keep her eyes on the page she was reading. This was it, he was here and she couldn't shut him out. Even if she didn't feel like talking to him, she knew she had to confront him soon enough. Though she thought maybe the Force loved toying with her privacy and wanted her to be social. That was a ridiculous thought. She mentally shook her head.

"What are you reading?"

She didn't look up to meet his gaze, not yet. "A book…"

"Obviously, let me rephrase that... What _book_ are you reading?"

Rey rolled her eyes, he can be very sarcastic when the moment called for it. But he sounded somewhat annoyed, so she'll indulge him.

"One of the Jedi Texts I stole from Skywalker."

Then there was silence. She became concerned, so she looked up and met his gaze. Her breath caught in her throat as she caught sight of what he was wearing. Ben was wearing a black muscle shirt, very thin, and a pair pajama pants that hugged his hips. The shirt was what caught her off guard, though he actually had one on this time, it didn't hide the curves and tones of his torso. No matter how many times she tried, Rey didn't think she'd get over how defined he was. Yes, he had a handsome face and b-No!

She shook her head and, once again, forced herself to look into his eyes. Now that she got a good look at him, she noticed his hair was in slight disarray and his eyes were groggy. He must've been sleeping when the connection opened. Rey stiffed a laugh at his sleepy form. Ben tilted his head in confusion with a "What?"

She kept giggling. "Were you sleeping? You look terrible."

"Huh? Oh…" He looked up at his hair then tried flattening it. Only for it to spring back up. He gave an annoyed groan and wiped his eyes. Rey sighed, she might as well ask him about what happened on Endor. She cleared her throat to catch his attention. He looked up at her.

"Ben… about what happened on Endor… Why did you let me go?"

He blinked as his response. Rey blushed and covered her face at the fact she even asked him that. Of course, he wasn't going to answer. It was stupid of her to think otherwise. Now, that she thought about it, he probably let her go because he pitied her.

"…It was the right thing to do.."

She froze in place at his answer. The right thing to do? She hated that answer, it didn't sound like him. It sounded like something Finn would say to avoid the real answer and possibly the consequence. Rey looked up at him, narrowing her wet eyes. The raven-haired man stared at her with a frown. He knew she wouldn't take that answer, he shouldn't have said that in the first place.

"The right thing to do? Since when did you ever do the right thing?"

The corner of his mouth twitched into the start of a smirk. But he did not make any facial expressions after that. She had tears in her eyes again. He had a habit of making her cry without knowing it. Ben doesn't want to see her cry, he wanted to see her smile. He looked to the side to avoid her gaze.

"I thought you wanted to see the good in me. Or perhaps that's not what you want to hear?"

"But that's not why you let me go."

"No, it's not."

Rey stood up and flared her nostrils at him. He sounded like a parent lecturing his kid for wanting a toy. Questioning the reason why the kid wanted the toy, like he had to have a concrete reason for wanting to play with it. This conversation reminded her of the first connection they ever had, when he was curious about how it all worked. Like that conversation, it infuriated her. But this was for a different reason.

"Tell me why… You've had every chance to kill me as you please…" Tears streamed down her cheeks. She didn't want to cry because of him, she was tired of crying because of the choices he made. Anger and frustration consumed her soul, clenching her fists tightly.

"I could feel the light radiating from you that day! So, it's not just because 'you wanted to do the right thing!'"

Ben frowned at her words once more. "I'm your sworn enemy, why do you care so much?"

Rey was taken back by his statement, but she retaliated none the less. "Not in here, you're not... Besides, you never cared if we were sworn enemies when this first started happening! You told me I wasn't alone, I believed you! I want to believe you when you say you did it because you wanted to do the right thing, but I can't! So, tell me why!"

More salty tears rolled down her face to her collarbone. Her head hurt from yelling and crying but at this point she couldn't stop herself. Sobs escaped her throat as she fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself as she wallowed in her confusion. Ben watched her cry for a moment, wondering why she gave a damn about him. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks; just like that day in the throne room, she wanted to go with him, but she couldn't.

During the third time they connected after what happened on Crait, she explained why she pulled the lightsaber on him. He was reluctant to hear what she had to say but listened anyway. She explicitly said she wanted to take his hand, so badly, but she couldn't because people were dying. There was a conflict much bigger than either of them, and they couldn't let their feelings get in the way. As selfish as it sounded, his proposal to her had good intentions. But he was a fool for thinking she could join the First Order when the first thing she ever said to him was that all people in the First Order were evil.

Ben frowned with guilt welling up in his chest. As much as he wanted her to be at his side, they couldn't be together. Not right now. But as long as they had this connection, they could in a way not be enemies. This was a dangerous thought, but it could work. He slowly walked up to Rey's quivering form then kneeled in front of her. She refused to look up at him, not wanting to seem like a pathetic child. The man dressed in black hesitantly reached up and caressed her shoulder. Freezing at the contact, Rey's sobs suddenly stopped with a gasp. His hand was huge but the reason behind his touch was tender. Ben's figure had always been intimidating, though his personality was filled with compassion and sympathy.

Slowly, he scooted closer to her small figure and set his forehead on top of her hair. Rey looked up at him, face salty from her tears and eyes puffy. Ben always found her eyes fascinatingly beautiful. They held a child-like innocence yet a determination for hope. Sometimes they were brown when she got angry but when she was sad, he swore he could see them turn jade with a bit of grey. He offered her a small, weak smile to reassure her. She leaned her forehead against his as she searched his eyes for the reason he let her go.

Eyes locked, foreheads connected, this was the most intimate position they found themselves in with each other. Though, it was not awkward. Both found this position comforting and reassuring. Everything was silent, listening only to each other's breathing. Their noses brushing against each other, just centimeters from the other's lips. Rey lifts her hand to the gape that separates his shoulder from his neck, feeling how long his hair had grown. Maybe an inch. She forgot how soft his hair was when she had comforted him after Leia passed away. The smell was driving her crazy, the scent of mint and fresh grass. With a small pull by the back of his neck, Rey closed her eyes and pressed her lips against his.

Ben's body grew still at the contact of his lips on hers. He's never kissed anyone before, other than his mother whenever she tucked him in bed or was leaving for a meeting with the Senate. But she was his mother, this was a scavenger from Jakku. A nobody who slashed his face with his grandfather's lightsaber. The girl who put herself in danger to save him from Snoke's clutches. And yet, this kiss was everything he had never dreamed of. He felt warm, lightweight. This is dangerous, he shouldn't be doing this with her. He should hate her, despise her. He should want to kill her. Instead, he feels something else. Something more than just simple compassion. With a small sigh, Ben relaxes, closing his eyes and pulls her closer.

Both were inexperienced in such an intimate activity, but neither cared. The tall man took her face into his hands and tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Rey grabbed his shirt, pulling him as close as physically possible. The awkward position of their bodies being so far apart made Rey's torso stretch, causing her to fall forward and pull away from his mouth. Her face landed against his buff chest, covered by a thin shirt. Blood rushed to her cheeks as she could hear the rate of his heart beat, pulsing against her ear. One caught himself to keep from falling on the floor while the other held Rey by her waist. Ben looked down at her with curiosity. She stayed there listening to his heart, it was fast and strong. Singing to her like a song.

Rey looked back up at him with her face red as a rose, her eyes spoke vulnerability and want. Sitting them both up, Ben slowly pulled their lips back together. They fit like two missing puzzle pieces. Their souls hummed in resonance as their bodies pressed against one another once more. The desert girl grabbed his shirt again as the Supreme Leader caressed the back of her head, pushing them closer and closer. This was perfect. Absolutely perfect. They could stay like this forever.

A hand moves up under his shirt, feeling the smooth skin of his built torso. Ben gasped against her lips as electricity flowed through his body. If only she knew what she was doing to him. They pulled back and looked down at where her hands were placed. Both blushing at the fact she was imploring physical contact. It excited yet frightened him. Rey didn't know what she was thinking, only that she was following her instincts when they initiated touching. Frozen in place, she did not know what to do. Sensing her hesitation, Ben fully sits up, takes the hem of his shirt, and pulls it over his head. Her eyes widen slightly as her entire face turns red. Seeing him up close without a shirt was a different experience than it was through the connection. With him inches away from her, she could feel heat radiating from his body. The scars present on his skin were healed but not ugly. They were smooth and seemed to fit him perfectly.

Hesitantly, Rey placed her left hand over his abdomen, the muscles twitching at the contact of her cold hands. Shivers went up his spine as Ben watched with amazement. He'd never been touched by someone like this, only with medical droids when he was injured. Sure, as a teenager he would sometimes wonder what it would be like to touch a woman or be touched by one. Either way, it intrigued him. After everything that happened with Luke, he did not expect any woman in the galaxy to like him for who he was. Now here he was, being treated with care by a girl who had once hated him.

Rey's hand slowly moved up his chest, feeling every curve, every scar he owned. She gulped with nervousness as the edge of her fingers traced the scar she gave him that snowy night on Starkiller Base. Her fingers delicately skimming the jagged skin, Ben watched her with hungry eyes. Finally, her hand landed on his face, her thumb rubbing under his eye. He looked down upon her, curious how this will all play out. Rey raised her other hand and fully caressed his sensitive face. His chocolate brown eyes clashing on hers, silently communicating their want for each other.

In one swift movement, Ben pulled Rey by her waist into another kiss. She gasped at his boldness to pull her against him but did not complain. Instead, she indulged him by wrapping her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers through his hair. Ben groaned at the sensation as he wrapped his arms around her back. It was nice having someone who wanted to touch him, talk to him, fight alongside him, and not hate him. He could feel her emotions flow out of her like the rays of a sun hit the surface of a green planet. There was more to it, more than compassion she felt for him. It scared him terribly. But he wanted it more than anything. The kiss had become intense after a while. They couldn't seem to get enough of it when Ben found himself on top of her, the girl from Jakku at his mercy.

"REY! GET OFF OF HER, YOU MURDERING BASTARD!"

All at once, their moment was ended by the voice of a certain ex-Stormtrooper. They pulled away from the kiss instantly and looked up at Finn, who was pointing his blaster at Ben's head. Before Finn could pull the trigger, Ben disappeared, leaving Rey a heated mess on the floor of the Falcon. Breathing heavily while holding onto her chest in a panic. Her friend looked around once more before looking down at her. Rey slowly stood up and looked at Finn with shame. She had yet to tell anyone about what had happened on Ahch-To nor the connection she and Ben held dearly.

"Rey… Mind explaining why Kylo Ren was here? Better yet, why he was half naked and sucking your face?"

For once, Rey wished she could disappear the way Ben did just moments ago. She had a lot of explaining to do, she just hoped Finn would forgive her for not telling him sooner. With a sigh, Rey met her friend's worried and angered gaze as she kneeled down to take up Ben's shirt, transferred through their now dangerous interactions.

"It's a long story…"


End file.
